Nearly 20 years ago, I was at Gregory’s Jazz Club in Rome, a small place not far from the Spanish Steps. A Nordic duo was set to play that night. While my friend and I waited for the show to start, an older couple sat down next to us. The woman was immediately friendly and asked where we were from. They were American too.
Turns out the man was born in the town next to where I went to high school. They were humble, unassuming and spoke to us freely, mostly asking about us and our time in Rome. Then the lights dimmed and the show started. About halfway through the set, one of the musicians took the mic and mentioned that someone very special was in the house tonight. There was a legendary musician among us: One Tony Scott. He had played with the greats. Billie Holiday. Max Roach. Sarah Vaughan. Ben Webster. Many others.
The older man next to us then stood up and walked to the stage. He picked up a clarinet from a stand, a fixture whose purpose had been a mystery until then, and proceeded to jam with the band. As you can imagine, it was incredible. He lit the place and gave us a moment a jazz fan can never forget. We had met Tony Scott!
I explored Tony Scott’s catalog afterward. Turns out he had a unique obsession with the jazz standard “Lush Life.” In fact, he’d recorded a double-album titled Lush Life filled with 10 versions of the song. In his liner notes, he called it the greatest American song of all time. I found the record on Discogs and dug in. For good measure, he recorded a Lush Life 2, with yet more versions!
“Lush Life” is a peculiar song. It was written by Billy Strayhorn when he was just 22, but his lyrics speak of an experience well beyond those years. There’s a plot twist in the middle of the story, and it changes the tenor of the tune. There’s no refrain or melody around which the song returns. The song is linear, a story from beginning to end, aligning with one’s journey through life. We share that same fate with the character in the song, and there’s no going back to sing the refrain again and find comfort.
Then there’s the bittersweet irony of the song’s title. The words are only sung once, at the end, and like any good literature or poem, “Lush Life takes on a distinct meaning. One that’s different than you might expect. Strayhorn was having an interesting day when he penned this one.
For those reasons and the intriguing connection with Tony Scott, I’ve always been drawn to this particular standard. It’s beautiful. It’s peculiar. It’s sad. It reflects a path of life on which we have all wandered.
More recently, I dragged my family to a show at Smalls in New York’s Village, and I mean dragged. We were visiting, and I wanted them to experience a performance at a small jazz club, much like the one in Rome. Sasha Dobson was singing that night. I didn’t know much about her, but guitarist Peter Bernstein was playing with her, and that was intriguing enough for me.
The set was nice enough, but toward the end the two of them did a quiet duet of “Lush Life.” They nailed it. It was the highlight of the set. Afterward, I hoped to find a recorded version among Sasha’s albums, but she’s never put it down. There is a ramshackle YouTube version of her laughing through the song with a friend, but that’s it.
That night rekindled my love for the song. I started to seek out other takes. I discovered that Tony Scott recorded a spoken word version on A Jazz Life, a retrospective he recorded just before he passed in 2007.
This journey became a rabbit hole, and before I knew it, I had located and listened to more than 50 versions of the tune, from the greats to rough YouTube streams recorded during COVID. And because I’m a “list lover” by nature, I’ve created a list for those who feel this might be a worthy rabbit hole as well, or even a smaller hole with just enough space for petunias. Go get your favorite drink and streaming app. Dig with me.
A few notable artists attempted “Lush Life” but didn’t make this list. Billy Strayhorn’s version doesn’t make the cut, mostly because singing wasn’t his strength. While Andy Bey has impressive pipes, his 8-minute slow walk never offers anything interesting to the song.
Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald did a version, but it just didn’t quite rate for me. Frank Sinatra never actually finished his version, and pop-star Rickie Lee Jones tried it, but her version is far too precious for the teeth this song requires.
So with all that, here are my top 20 versions of “Lush Life.”
No. 20. KEVIN MAHOGANY, from MY ROMANCE (1998): There are surprisingly few voice and piano duets of this song, but Mahogany with Bob James open this list a quiet and graceful rendition.
No. 19. XAVIER THOLLARD TRIO, from (RE)COMPOSITIONS (2020): I had not heard of the Xavier Thollard Trio before this journey but this is a unique and compelling take, complete with bass solo and satisfying groove down the stretch.
No. 18. NANCY WILSON, from LUSH LIFE (1967): Nancy’s bridging of jazz and pop is on display with this endearing vocal performance.
No. 17. JOE HENDERSON, from LUSH LIFE: THE MUSIC OF BILLY STRAYHORN (1992): Joe can really captivate with just a saxophone. This version is arresting from start to finish, capturing the plot twists and conclusion very well.
No. 16. BUD POWELL, from STRICTLY POWELL (1957): Bud being Bud is good enough for me.
No. 15. TONY SCOTT AND BILL FRISELL, from LUSH LIFE (1989): One of Tony’s 10 versions on Lush Life, this is by far the most experimental take of everything I listened to. Tony’s despondent aching vocals attempt to really capture the anguish in the singer’s heart, while Frisell lays down a hypnotic and haunting soundscape.
No. 14. McCOY TYNER, from SUPERTRIOS (1977): You had to know that McCoy would bring his top game to this one.
No. 13. ANGELS CERVANTES AND CHEMA SAIZ, from RECORDANDO a ELLA FITZGERALD & JOE PASS (2014): A surprisingly refreshing rendition with Cervantes’ lush voice and Saez’ elegant guitar.
No. 12. KURT ELLING, from DEDICATED TO YOU (2009): Kurt perhaps tries a bit too hard at times here, but he is still a master singer, and this performance is captivating.
No. 11. NAT KING COLE, from LUSH LIFE WITH THE PETE RUGOLO ORCHESTRA (1992): This version recorded in 1949 brought Strayhorn’s song out of relative obscurity.
No. 10. SARAH VAUGHAN, from SASSY (1956): Sarah is bold but restrained in this excellent version recorded with Hal Mooney.
No. 9. BILLY ECKSTINE, from NO COVER, NO MINIMUM (1960): Eckstine’s rich baritone is a perfect backdrop for the orchestra, but an otherwise straightforward performance.
No. 8. JACK JONES, from WHERE LOVE HAS GONE (1964): Of the orchestral takes on the song, this one supplements the song the best in my opinion. I love Jack’s articulation throughout his vocal.
No. 7. LADY GAGA, from CHEEK TO CHEEK (2014): Lady Gaga’s voice is gorgeous and spot on here, but if you listen to the versions next on this list, they all offer something a little bit more.
No. 6. QUEEN LATIFAH, from THE DANA OWENS ALBUM (2004): Queen Latifah gives a big finish the song deserves.
No. 5. ELLA FITZGERALD AND JOE PASS, from TAKE LOVE EASY (1974): other version sort of mailed it in (still excellently!) but adding Ella forced him to up his game. This version is a treasure.
No. 4. TONY SCOTT, from A JAZZ LIFE (2007): Just before he passed, Tony recorded this spoken word version. The voice is captivating – a whole life is in this song that he adored so completely.
No. 3. DONNA SUMMER, from DONNA SUMMER (1982): “Lush Life” deserves a full-on pop treatment, and Donna sells it.
No. 2. BLOSSOM DEARIE, from NEEDLEPOINT MAGIC (1979): It might be her opening talk that ices this version, but Blossom Dearie absolutely nails the tone of the song.
No. 1. JOHNNY HARTMAN AND JOHN COLTRANE, from JOHNNY HARTMAN AND JOHN COLTRANE (1963): I think some vocalists rival or even top Johnny Hartman on this one, but it’s Coltrane’s melancholy finish that no other version can rival.
I would love to read some competing takes on your favorite version of “Lush Life,” because that means you tried some of these out. It’s a song worthy of your attention.
